Goalkeeper Inaki Pena was excluded from Barcelona’s Spanish Super Cup semi-final win over Athletic Club because it was the third time he had been late for a team meeting, Hansi Flick said.
The 25-year-old Pena established himself as Barcelona’s first-choice goalkeeper after Marc-Andre ter Stegen was ruled out for the rest of the season last September with a knee ligament injury.
Barcelona signed free agent Wojciech Szczesny after Ter Stegen’s injury, but Pena played in 19 matches with the Catalan club and plans to play Szczesny during the Copa del Rey campaign.
The 34-year-old Szczesny started in the Copa del Rey win over Barbastro, but was retained for Wednesday’s win over Athletic Bilbao, with coach Flick saying Pena did not play due to being behind, with no guarantees of selection ahead of Sunday’s final against Real Madrid. . .
“You know I never talk about the starting lineup and I won’t,” Flick said on Saturday before the final.
He added: “We played a good match, and Inaki played a great first half. In Spain there is a different mentality. Abroad everyone is talking. Everyone is professional. These are special matches and you have to be prepared for them.”
Flick added about Chesney’s confrontation with Pena on Wednesday: “It is the third time that (Pena and defender Jules Kounde) have fallen behind.”
Barcelona has won the Super Cup 14 times, more than any other team, but lost 4-1 to Real Madrid in last season’s final.
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